The Alpha's Witch
by CrazyAna
Summary: The Quileute Alpha finally imprints!
1. Chapter 1

The Alpha's Witch

 **Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me! Please don't sue!**

 **Chapter 01:**

Fuck!

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Double and then triple that FUCK!

 **How** the fuck did he get into this situation?

 **Why** the fuck did he get into this situation?!

But he knew the answer to his questions. It was the same answer for both of those.

Those damned caramel eyes.

Those beautiful, ruthlessly sinful, wondrously expressive caramel eyes had led him to his doom.

And of course, their razer tongued owner. The bushy haired, ivory skinned, frangipani scented goddess.

He was screwed!

He was so fucking screwed!

He rubbed his large hands vigorously over his face. He had thought his morning was bad because his crazy animal sex with his girlfriend had been interrupted, then as the day had passed he had realized that the cock block had nothing on the hellish day that had followed!

He had imprinted.

Sam Uley, the Alpha of the Quileute Tribe had _fina-fucking-lly.._ imprinted, after giving up hopes of ever finding his one true mate for years now.

Not just that too. No, he could have lived with the imprinting part alone. But _nooo_ , he was the masochist of the first waters with an obvious penchant for sticking his foot in, for he had imprinted on a stranger..

..while having a steady girlfriend who was honored to be the only female of their pack.

 _Then_ his imprint had turned out to be a shape-shifting witch!

..who was one of his oldest pack-mate's wife's best friend!

 **Could things ever really worsen?**

He unlocked the door to his house and then kicked it open in exasperation. Walking to the small kitchen, he deposited the keys on top of the counter, completely by-passing the bowl by the door that usually housed his keys and carried out the one thing that had even the remotest chance of making him sane again.

Well, apart from _her_ that is.

He walked out to his backyard and pulled out a can of beer from the six-pack he had bought from the reserve's only convenience store. Not that the beer would get him drunk, but the action had always calmed him.

Taking in a long swig, he hit his head on the doorframe just behind him and thought back to his day, slowly reliving every minute of it.

- _flashback_ -

His day had started quite like every other ordinary day of his life, well, as ordinary as it could get when you were a werewolf the size of a horse, made so just to kill vampires.

Anyways, like every morning, he'd phased at four, just before the crack of dawn and checked in with his night patrolling pack members – Collin and Brady. All had been quiet through the night since their watch, they had told him through their mind-links before phasing back into their human forms and taking off for their home, seeking a few hours of rest before they had to begin their day officially.

He had then done a thorough parameter check with his patrol partner and girlfriend – Leah Clearwater.

Things with Leah had been rocky, back when he had phased for the first time. He'd been scared of hurting her and so he had broken things off with her. Then, by some sheer miracle, she had phased too and joined his pack, making them an even eight. He had phased first, followed by Jared first then Paul. Embry, Quil and Jacob had joined in after them. Then much to everyone's surprise had come in the Clearwater siblings.

Leah had been as shocked as him to find herself between all the buff boys. She had been as bitter and angry as ever, since their breakup but then she'd found out the reason for their breakup and all in the course of one night, things between him and her had changed.

She'd just dropped in at his place after her dinner, like she used to back when they were together and then she'd dropped her dress and stood proud and naked in front of him, not a sign of inhibition on her exotically beautiful face.

And that had been that.

They'd fucked through his mattress all night long and the next day on, they'd been back together, and they had been together ever since, almost four years now.

It was only when Quil had imprinted on her little niece, Claire, three years back, that they'd taken a moment to consider the future of their relationship.

They hadn't known anything about imprinting till then; but after Quil's uncanny and unconventional trailing of a two year old, the tribe elders had sat the entire pack down and educated them about imprinting.

That night, after the bonfire had long extinguished, Leah and him had decided to continue as they were. "No point in rocking a smooth sail," Leah had shrugged and he had agreed. They'd had it good till then, so why stop? "Yeah, and you heard them. Imprinting's quite rare. May be we never will find our imprints," Sam had pointed out.

That was the first time Leah had hinted at something more permanent for them. "True. If we find them, we'll separate, if not, then.. maybe we could get married to each other."

"Sounds like a plan," he had smirked and one thing had led to another and they'd found themselves coated in sand and salt the next morning.

It had been years since that evening. Many more had joined their pack since. Some of the older ones had found their imprints and stopped phasing to give up on their immortality and grow old with their spouses. They'd fought wars with vampires old and new and then found their much coveted peace.

Jacob had left the pack and started travelling with the Cullens to be with his imprint – Renesmee Cullen. Paul still lived at the reserve with Rachel, but he didn't phase anymore, just like Jared who'd given it up for his own imprint – Kim, and moved out of the reserve to Seattle where he had found work at a small government office that worked for the welfare of the natives. Quil was still phasing, waiting for his little imprint to grow up. Seth was also phasing along with his sister. Though the siblings were both phasing for two very different reasons. Leah, for him, to spend as much time with him as she could. Seth for his wife, a red-headed witch he had met, imprinted, befriended and married, all in the space of one short month since the witches and wizards had a slower than normal ageing process and Seth wanted to keep up with his wife.

Only him and Embry had waited back at the reserve while everyone else had attended his wedding in the UK. The witch was from England and she wanted a wedding in her country, in the backyard of her childhood home, and Seth being unable to refuse his imprint anything, had happily agreed. The magical folks had given them a few nifty little things called portkeys that had transported all of the merry attendees to and from the venue.

Being the alpha, he had stayed back, for he was loathed to leave the reserve unguarded. Embry had stayed back with him to help out. He had wanted to travel for a bit, so he had welcomed the idea of a few extra days of pack-life back then. They were sure that between Embry and him, they'd be fairly well placed to take down a leech or two should they need to.

He knew Leah had wanted to keep him company too, but it was her brother's wedding, she could hardly give that a miss!

And they'd all been back soon.

And Seth's new wife – Ginerva, Ginny for short, had been an amazing addition to the tribe. The fact that she could get most things done with just a swish of her wand was an added bonus but definitely not her only allure. She was smart and witty, never hesitated to take the pack members down by a notch or two and she had inadvertently assumed the role of a hen-mother. She had grown up with six older brothers and so, was used to bossing large men around, or so she had said while setting his large pack straight and Sam had liked her no-nonsense attitude from the start.

Then, not even a year into marriage, Seth and her had had a baby. They'd taken the little boy and everyone else again for his christening to England. Again, being the alpha, he had urged everyone to enjoy the break while staying back himself and doing innumerable patrols alone this time.

It had all been worth it though, everyone had come back happy and for a minute there life had been perfect for him.

An obedient and brave pack by his side. A happy and safe reserve with no leeches in sight. No drama. A hot girlfriend who made out with him in both her human and animal forms.

He had been a happy man on the verge of considering matrimony. Since his imprint hadn't showed up for so long, he had thought she never would and he had started putting big dollars aside for an engagement ring, wanting to propose to Leah with something she could to flaunt to her friends, his construction business with Quil and Paul for partners, was doing well after all!

Enter the toppler of his world!

He'd been going hot and heavy with Leah in the woods that same morning, when he'd heard twigs snapping. On closer attention, he'd come across a very foreign scent and something inside him had urged him on, towards it. He'd phased immediately, Leah following his lead and running in her lithe wolf form after his bulky black one.

He'd seen a magnificent black panther by the creek, trying to sniff her way around, then looking up in every direction as if lost. He would have let her pass but her scent had set him on edge. He'd lunged at her from the side and pinned her to the ground, his body barring both, her flight and fight. Then he'd taken a deep whiff from her very exposed neck.

 _Frangipanis._ He breathed deeply even now, while drinking his beer as if he could still smell it's faint traces in the air.

But at that time, he hadn't found the situation alluring but alarming! "Phase!" he'd ordered the sleek panther in his double timbred Alpha voice, right after phasing into his own burly human form on top of the animal.

The panther had heard him alright! She'd phased, pinned as she was under him and then looked him right in his eyes.

 _SNIP!_

His worldly ties had all dissolved and she'd become his only connection, his only grounding factor, everything else turning superficial. Just like that, she became his sole purpose of life. _His._ And he'd known then that he would be anything she wanted him to be for her, she needed him to be to her. He'd stop at nothing to keep her safe and make her happy.

"If you don't take your naked form off me, right now, I will burst your bollocks, mister!" she had warned him while he'd been lost in her eyes. "Move! Now!"

He, Sam Uley, the Alpha of the Quileute Tribe's werewolf pack had been unable to let her command slide. He'd immediately pushed himself on his hands and jumped right off her.

 _Gods but she has me whipped already!_ He had stared in awe at her, taking in her tiny frame, curly mane and angry eyes.

"Is it a Quileute tradition to welcome guests by lying naked on top of them and then staring at them as if they are the ones without any clothes on their backs?" her crisp British accent had rolled over him like butter melting on his over-heated body.

But before he could answer her provoking statement with an equally bold reply, Leah had caught up to the entire episode. She had looked on in shock at his imprint and whispered, "Hermione?"

"Leah?" his Hermione had quickly looked behind him at an equally naked Leah and frozen in surprise. "What? Is it a no clothes day or something?"

Both Leah and him had laughed. "No. We, unlike some, aren't blessed enough to phase back and forth with clothes. We do it au naturelle, baby. And we rock it with our bodies," Leah had naughtily winked at his imprint who had a light smattering of colour on her pale cheeks that she tried hard to make go.

"Really?" she quirked her perfect brow at them, while trying her level best to keep her eyes on their faces without straying them.. much. Though to Sam's amusement it was only him that she was eyeing under her hooded eyes.

"Really," he had smiled abashed, furiously rubbing the back of his neck. Not that he minded having his imprint look her fill of him; he had a blessed anatomy all the way through. It was just that the entire situation was a tad embarrassing. What with his tumble with his girlfriend being interrupted by his imprint who had turned out to be said girlfriend's friend and all that.

"You should have asked Ginny to remedy that for you. Never mind, now that I'm here, remind me to take a look at your clothes later. I'll try and fix the problem for you Leah.. and any others that may be interested," his imprint had ended with a haughty look in his direction.

Leah grinned. "Gee, thanks Hermione. I'd owe you one if you could do that. I've lost count of the number of clothes I've ruined with emergency phasing." Hermione had returned her smile. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here? As in, in the woods, like a panther and not popping right in Seth's backyard?"

"Long story. Ginny neither sent in the latitudes nor any pictures, so I couldn't apparate straight to their place. I had to floo in at the American Congress' offices in Seattle and then walk out, find a car rental place from where I rented a car after faking documents and drove all the way to Forks, on the wrong side of the road no less, only to have the car stop a little beyond that sleepy town! I couldn't fix the problem since I couldn't find it. So I thought I'd walk to La Push. Then I realized that at my speed I'd take forever to get there, so I changed into my Animagus form and Voila! Here I am! Lost and famished!"

"Oh.. long day, eh?" Leah winked at Hermione. "Phase back and I'll take you till the edge of the woods, from there you can change back. I'll point out Seth's place for you."

"Won't you be coming along?"

"Nah, I was patrolling with Sam, the nude guy in front of you," Leah pointed to him. He's our Alpha and we are on our patrol duty of the day. I'll swing by after the patrols though."

"Alright. Sam." Saying that Hermione nodded in Sam's direction and phased back without a second's delay and waited in front of Sam giving him what could only ever be described as a very curious glare from the sexiest animal he had ever seen. And then she had trailed behind Leah, leaving Sam staring at her retreating form, a goofy smile on his face.

After Hermione had left with Leah, Sam had stood rooted to the spot, his joy at meeting his imprint forgotten over the pain of separation. He almost hightailed it behind them, but he stopped himself. He had to gather his thoughts and be ready for when Leah got back, he just had to straighten things out with her first, alienating a member of his pack just would not do for him.

And so when Leah got back, chaos ensued!

Sam came clean about his imprinting and Leah threw a tantrum. In a fit of rage, she transformed and ran off. When he went to stop her, she almost attacked him, only her sense of self-preservation and the innate sense of reverence for the Alpha that was ingrained in the pack stopped her attack.

Realizing she needed time away by herself, Sam had let her attack pass and stepped away from her. Finishing a last parameter check, he had phased back into his human form near the edge of the woods and pulled out the clothes that he kept in a bag hung on a tree there and wore them.

Then with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation he had run over to Seth's house that they had helped build a little ways beyond his mother's.

Ginny's family was a very close one and so everyone had come to help and support her over the past month or so, of the baby's birth. While her father and all her brothers and their girlfriends/wives had returned home, her mother had stayed back.

Being the mother of a brood, she had insisted on feeding the pack all their meals during her stay despite of having a little grandchild to care for, so his whole pack had been there, crowding Seth's living room.

He was met with utter chaos when Sam entered Seth's place and saw the pandemonium he had been hearing for long by then.

His entire pack minus Leah, Collin and Brady was there and somehow everyone, it seems had met Hermione already, probably during the wedding and the Christening, Sam realized belatedly as he was sat by his backyard, while crushing the finished beer can in his hand and tossing it in a corner.

He bent ahead and pulled out a new can, pulling the tab over it, the fizzing hiss it let out tempting him into taking a gulp immediately, then he laid his head back on the doorframe and went back to his thoughts.

Hermione had been swamped with the younger members of his pack, all almost jumping on her excitedly. On the other side, there was Molly levitating dish after dish on the extended table in the hall. Ginny was trying to squeeze her way between the pack to reach her friend. Seth was standing in a corner, his little baby in hand, cooing him an old tribal song in the middle of the chaos that was his home. Sue, his mother was dishing out plates full of food and passing them to the elders and the pack members.

Unable to take anymore, Sam resorted to his Alpha voice and then in his double timbred tone ordered for peace.

"Behave!" he bellowed. "There's a cranky baby that his father is trying to soothe in the corner, despite what we are, can we at least try to be more humane while we're here. And step away from the new girl. She must be exhausted! Let her friend see her first, you pups can come back later or invite her to one of your football games some evening, if you wish to talk to her. Go, eat what Molly and Sue have prepared and behave respectfully," he ordered but in a more shushed voice.

"Gee.. what's with the party pooper over there?" Hermione asked just as his pack collected there acts and moved over to Sue.

"Sorry..?" Sam had been confused.

"The poor pups only wanted to welcome me to their home. You didn't need to go all double-toned Alpha on their asses. And the baby is under a sleep charm, even a bomb blast won't wake him up."

"None the less, they need to behave."

"Big words from a man who jumped on me nude in the woods."

And suddenly you could've heard a pin drop at Seth's place.

"You jumped on her? Nude?"

"Why were you naked?"

"If my sister was with you, you better not speak a word about the mess."

"Now, Hermione, if only you start dating a man like him, I can die in peace knowing all my kids were in good hands."

"Let's find her a man here. So she can stay with us."

"SILENCE!" Hermione bellowed, pointing her wand at her own neck. "Now, to answer the questions in a line – yes, he jumped me! Buck naked! Probably because he was busy with .. well, let me not say her name out loud since her family's around. No, thank you Molly and Gin, I don't have time for a man right now and especially not one that lives so far off. Anything else, anyone?"

Sam had never felt that rejected in his life. Even before he had a chance to woo her, to tell her about his tribe, the tribal legends and imprinting, she had refused him. Point blank. No questions asked. He felt as if he was ripped into shreds at her blatant rejection and had run away from Seth's place like a teenager who had just seen his first crush kissing his older brother!

"Well… SHIT!" were the last words he'd heard uttered from Seth's eloquent mouth, before blurring and running out of the house and straight for the woods phasing even before he reached its edge, ripping off his clothes, uncaring and then he had run for miles and miles till the edge of thick foliage and then back, stopping only once he was at the reserve to pick up a six pack beer.

He had no wish for sustenance anymore but he was duty bound. He could not leave his pack like that. That just wasn't him.

He looked at the beer can in his hand, wistfully. _You're all I have for company now, all through my life._

While his thoughts were muddled with confusion between his love for his imprint and the can of beer in his hands, the doorbell chimed.

Wondering who it could be at the late hour, he stood up and walked till the door, the beer can still in hand. It couldn't be a pack emergency since his phased pack-mates always came through the backyard to allow for privacy after their phasing.

 _Who is it then?_ He wondered and opened the door with a big scowl on his face.

"We need to talk…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02:**

"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione looked at the brown eyed boy who'd married her only girlfriend, broken her best friend's heart and then brought the said girlfriend across the ocean and had the celebrated war veteran and pro-athlete going gaga about her domestic life.

"I said, it's quite possible that your blatant disregard of even thinking of a future with our Alpha may have driven him bat-crap crazy and he's probably going mad with heart breaking grief right about now," Seth _helpfully_ cleared for her again.

"What?" Hermione ran a hand through her curly mane, and lost her cool some more when her hand got caught in the knots there. "Seth! I just meet the guy. He can't be… oh.. OH! Oh.. no, no, no, no, no!"

Hermione hyperventilated for few minutes before gathering her thoughts and looking at Seth again. "Please tell me your joking!"

"I'm guessing, yes, but it's an educated guess. I've been through it with Ginny. I know what a refusal of the imprint feels like and Sam definitely looked like he wanted to kill himself."

"Oh good Godric! You don't think he's going to harm himself, do you?"

"I sure hope not. But knowing Sam as I do, I think he'll get himself together for the pack, but the imprint's magic, it's just.." Seth shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't say anything more, Sam is the only one who can give you all your answers."

Disgruntled, Hermione nodded. "I think I need to go for a walk, to think about it all."

Seth sighed. "If you decide to give this a try, Hermione, know that Sam _will_ take utmost care of you, he will love you to destruction and stop at nothing to make you happy. You will never find a better partner than Sam for yourself. Keep that in mind when you think of everything, okay?"

Hermione kept his words in mind when she exited his house and walked towards the patch of sand close by. She found herself a place amongst the big rocks, climbing them gingerly to get to the top. Plopping herself down on one, she pulled out a golden coin from her jeans pocket and stared at it, the light from the sun reflecting on its shine, making her scrunch her eyes.

Finally, she gave in to her heart's desire, knowing she needed her best friend with her to talk her through this mess. She rubbed the coin, once, twice, thrice and then whispered to it, 'I need you, please.'

It took a second for the coin to warm up in her hands. The message on it read – 'Give me your location.'

Hermione looked around to make sure she was alone. When she was sure that no other crazy person had the desire to sit on the beach in the scorching afternoon heat, she slipped her wand out of her invisible wrist holster and cast the location spell. She then whispered the latitudes to the coin.

Within a minute flat, a raven haired man stood in front of her.

"Mione!" he smiled his greeting and picked her up from her place on the stones and hugged her tight. Settling her and then himself down beside her, he looked around. "It's a nice place. Where are we?"

Hermione bit her tongue. In all her inner turmoil, she had forgotten where she was calling her best friend.

"La Push…." She trailed off eyeing him guardedly.

Harry raised his eyebrows but said nothing for a minute. "Must be something really bad if you had to call me here."

"I am so sorry, Harry. I'm such a horrid friend. I just wanted to talk to you face-to-face so I.. I just didn't think of how you'd feel to be here."

"It's alright," Harry sighed. "It's been almost a year now. You'd think I would've gotten over her by now."

"I sorry, it still wasn't very nice of me," Hermione clasped his hand in her own and laid her head on his shoulder.

Ever since Ginny had broken off their engagement to be with Seth, Harry had left the country. He was crushed, and though he had understood that Ginny had met her soul mate and she was happy, albeit guilty, he hadn't been able to face her again. Just before he had left, she had re-made the coins similar to their DA ones and given him one so they could stay in touch. He now only spoke to her, from his previous life, he called it.

He had moved to Australia and joined the Australian Ministry of Magic as an Auror. Only his boss knew his true identity. He kept it hidden from everyone else so as not to attract attention to himself. He even used muggle make-up to glamour his scar since magic did not hide the traces left by dark curses.

He had gone out of his way to even buy the house next to her parents' despite it being well away from the magical district of Sydney. When she had visited him the first time, she had been shocked to her quick but he had hugged her and explained. "We couldn't undo your spell, but that doesn't mean we have to leave them for good. Wherever I stay, I can always just floo over to my office, but they are an added incentive for you to visit me now."

Hermione had cried that day when she'd taken her first peek at her parents but they had looked happy and posing as their neighbor's best friend Hermione had even had the chance to speak with them. She had been ecstatic. Ever since, she had made it a point to visit Harry every three to four months. She could've met him every weekend but they would be hard-pressed to explain her weekly visits from London to Sydney to her muggle parents. So they had stuck with three visits in the past eleven months. She was, in fact, due to visit him next after spending two weeks with Ginny.

She had come over to relieve Molly. Ginny had had a difficult pregnancy and the baby's feeds, changes and everything else had exhausted her completely so Molly had moved in with the new parents for the initial few weeks. She was supposed to stay back after the christening in England, but Ginny had howled for her help within hours of her return to La Push and so Molly had popped back to her daughter's side.

But now, the Burrow was falling apart without her and the past six weeks had been a torment for the Weasley boys without their mum in the background running the show. They all lived separately but they were an oddly close family and at least one of her boys visited her every day. And Hermione didn't even want to start about Arthur!

So she'd taken a month's leave intending to spend half of it with Ginny, thereby relieving Molly and the other half with Harry. But, now, she knew she would have to reconsider every single thing about her life if what Seth suspected turned out to be true.

Harry took the few minutes where Hermione was lost in her internal reverie to relax himself again then asked. "How is she? How are they all?"

Hermione knew he was asking about Ginny and the Weasleys. She smiled, Harry might have been heartbroken but his love for the family that had taken him in as their own had definitely not diminished. "They're all good. Ginny.. she had a baby boy a few weeks back. Molly's been here helping her with it. I came to relieve her because everyone back home is going berserk without her!"

Harry laughed. "I can just imagine. I bet Ron's got his laundry basket overflowing since!"

Hermione joined in the laughter. "Ron's the worst of the boys, I agree. But even he has nothing on Arthur! Arthur has been wearing mismatched socks ever since. He says he can't stomach our _exotic_ cooking styles and has been living off his burnt food or Leaky's take away since Molly's come here."

Shaking their heads, their laughter finally died off.

"So, why am I here?" Harry broached the subject again.

"Seth.." Hermione said his name and waited to see Harry's reaction. When he seemed alright, she continued, "He said that their Alpha might have imprinted on me."

She waited for Harry to scream about one more life wasted and about to be uprooted, about his hate for all things shape-shifting and all but none of that came. He stayed silent.

"How's that bad?"

"You serious?" Hermione looked on in shock at her best friend. "Harry, imprinting is the only the reason you aren't happily married right now. Your engagement was broken and wedding used by the bride-to-be and her imprinter and you're still asking me how that's bad?"

"Geez, thanks Mione, I'd forgotten all about it." Harry glared at her. "I know what imprinting did to me; but you said so yourself, Ginny is happy. From what you'd read back then, imprinting is like soul-binding. The only reason I stepped down and stayed away was that. Seth is Ginny's soul mate. I don't love the fact that the girl of my dreams was destined for another, or that the one match of hers I didn't attend had her coming back with my ring in her fist and a boy on her other arm, but _they_ are happy."

"Look, it's not like you have a boyfriend or even any prospects waiting back in England. So, why aren't you taking a chance? What's stopping you?"

"I'm scared, Harry. It's gonna uproot my entire life."

"You can get the same job even here, in the Magical Congress offices in Seattle. Travelling never was, nor will be, a grave problem for us wizarding folks. You'll be free to visit anyone at any given time. So, now tell me, why are you so scared about this all?"

Hermione snorted. "I must be really upset for _you_ are suddenly speaking rationally!"

"Really, now, Mione. Is that how you speak to your friend who has travelled miles within seconds to be by your side?" Harry cocked his brow.

Hermione chuckled in earnest then. "I'm just.. I just met him for crying out loud! I don't even know the guy! How can I just….."

"Speak to him, Mione. Give him a chance to explain and hear everything out. If this imprinting thing is as good as it is made out to be, you'll see that he's your best match, he'll make you happy and keep you safe."

"But, what if it's not..?"

"You'll have to give him try to find out, won't you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03:**

And that was how Hermione found herself on Sam's doorstep with Seth in tow.

She had gone back to Ginny's place, and bid Molly goodbye with a promise to be fair to the good man. She had sought Seth out and thanked him profusely, knowing that his talk with her in the morning must have cost him dearly since he was literally waving his sister's long-time boyfriend and talking him up as a prospect for Hermione to consider.

He had then promised to keep an eye out at Sam's place and inform her once he was back.

She felt really guilty for her role in Sam and Leah's break-up, however unintentional it may have been, and found facing Sue nearly impossible after finding out that Leah had run out on them in her anguish.

Though, Sue being the kind lady that she was had approached her with a smile and assured her that it had nothing to do with either Sam or her. "Imprinting is uncontrollable and no one will begrudge the Alpha or you your happiness should you decide to take things further. Even Leah," Sue had promised, "will come around. Being a wolf, she knows first-hand how imprinting works. Once she cools off, she'll be back and she'll accept it all." Sue had smilingly assured Hermione but Hermione had noticed that her smile had not quite reached her eyes.

And that was how, at the late hour at night Hermione had come to Sam's place. Seth had informed her that he was back and she'd quickly changed and freshened up to meet with him. However, despite her constant assurances that she could take care of herself, Seth had insisted on accompanying her.

"We tend to phase in anger and I'd rather not have you hurt. Your friend will have my hide if I let any harm come to you, let alone my Alpha. I best come along and if he looks alright, I'll leave you two to it. Does that sound okay to you?"

Hermione had nodded and thanked her stars that no one had asked her to wait till the morning to see Sam. She would've probably gone mad with all the questions plaguing her mind till then.

When Sam opened his front door after what seemed like an eternity, Hermione felt her heart squeeze in despair. In the few short hours since she'd seen him last he seemed to have aged, something which she knew was not possible till he continued phasing.

He looked on wanly at her and her alone, as if nothing else registered with him anymore.

"We need to talk," she blurted under his stormy gaze and realized that she found tearing her eyes away from his turbulent brown ones very difficult.

"Sure," he said in a rough tone, as if he hadn't spoken for hours, then clearing his throat he spoke again. "Would you like to come in? Or do want step out for a bit?"

Hermione thought about both the options quickly and opted to step out. They needed privacy but his home felt too personal for her to go into right away.

His face fell some more if it was possible and nodding he stepped out, closing the door shut behind him.

"You guys can take it from here then?" Seth asked, oddly knowing that he had been forgotten by them both.

Sam nodded and then searching Seth's face he looked down at the ground. "I am sorry, about.."

Seth beat him to it. "It wasn't your fault. We all understand this, don't worry. Leah will come around, too. I broke an honest man's engagement to be with my imprint, I'd be a hypocrite if I said anything to you." Then, giving them both encouraging smiles, he ran back to his jeep and drove his way home.

"After you," Sam laid his hand out in a flourish.

Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know the way around. Together?"

Hope flared in Sam's heart at the word and he nodded like a little child who had been told that Christmas was coming early that year.

He didn't dare to reach out for her hand, the risk of her shrieking away was too much and he knew he wasn't in a position to take two rejections from his imprint in less than a day of meeting her, but he took pleasure in walking beside her, having her close enough for him to breathe in her frangipani fragrance.

After a few minutes of expectant silence where neither spoke, Sam finally broke it. "Did you want to speak of imprinting?"

He saw as well as heard Hermione's dry gulp. "You _did_ imprint on me then." She made it sound like a question instead of the statement that it was.

"Yes." His voice was sure and astonishingly enough, calm.

"How does it feel?" Her next question came just as the sounds of the waves got louder, as if they were closer to the ocean now than from where they'd started, despite his house being right at the beach.

Not in a million years could he have thought she'd ask that to him. No other imprint had ever asked her wolf how it _felt_ to have imprinted. "Like someone's pulled out my guts from my ass while giving me a wedgie in my tighty-whities."

Hermione stopped in shock. "That's.. that's quite a graphic description." Then, "Does it really hurt so bad?"

He looked his imprint in her eyes but started walking again without answering her question. She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Sam," she whispered softly, "I'll never know if you don't tell it to me."

"Why do you want to know, Hermione?" he asked, hoping he'd get to hear the words he craved, that maybe she cared just a little for him too, to ask about his well-being."

"I'm curious," she confessed immediately.

"Ever heard of what curiosity did to the _kitten_?"

"More so a reason for you to just tell me."

He couldn't control it, he laughed. "Do you plan to always boss me around?"

"If it gets things done," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Your way," he laughed some more.

"What?"

"If it gets things done your way."

"Sam!" she stopped, turned and blocked his path. "You don't know me too well, but you will. And when you do, you'll know that I'm not easily deterred. Now, we can go around in circles all through the night and the following day but I won't let go until I have all the information I want. So get talking, Uley."

"Yes, ma'am. Ask away." He did his best to hide is amusement.

"First things first. Why do you look so tired and weary?"

"Gee, woman, don't spare my feelings will you."

"Why are you avoiding this particular question?"

"Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"Sam!" Hermione glared at him angrily. "Speak. Now."

"I don't want to."

"Too bad. I want to know and you seem to be the only one who can tell me everything I want to know."

"Fine," he sighed in resignation.

Hermione rose her brows expectantly. "The rejection stung deep. I lost my mind and ran all the way to God knows where. Only when I thought about the pack, I came back."

"Oh, Sam! I am so sorry," Hermione hugged the big man to console him and he felt his skin prickle everywhere she touched him. He had to reign his thoughts and actively bring them back to listen to her, "I didn't realize it. I never meant to hurt you. I am so sorry," she kept whispering soothingly. Her soft voice acting like a balm on his wounded heart and soul.

"It's okay, you didn't know. I over-reacted," he heard himself whispering back huskily.

"Hmm, maybe just a tad. You should have told me, you know."

"I didn't want to force anything on you."

"Is that the reason why you didn't want to tell me?"

He nodded. She gave him a small understanding smile. "You didn't get a choice either."

He could only shrug. He really didn't know what to say about that.

"Now, how about we find a nice place to sit and you tell me all about imprinting and what it entails?" Hermione suggested.

"Aren't you sleepy?" Sam asked, caring about her well-being coming too naturally to him.

She looked embarrassed. "No, but you must be. I'm sorry I kept you.."

"Shh," he put his finger on her lips. "First off, imprints never apologize to their wolves, okay? In my eyes, you can do no wrong. And I'd happily stay by your side all through the night, talking, than lie on my lonely bed away from you. That's how it works. The separation feels like an actual, physical pain."

Hermione nodded, finally beginning to see how imprinting worked. "Tell me more," she insisted and tapped his shoulder to ask him to sit on the soft sand that was now under their feet. She followed, sitting beside him, arms untouching, barely.

"It's kind of like love at first sight, only it's never wrong. One look in the imprint's eyes and the entire world shifts. It feels like she is the only one who's holding you down to Earth. There's this urge to be with her, to never let go, to fulfil every want of hers, every need."

"Hermione," he turned to face her, clasping her small, cold hands in his large, warm ones, "I'll be anything you want me to be. A friend, a brother, a lover. Just.." he dry swallowed, "honey, just give me a chance. I'll make you happy, I'll keep you safe. I'll love you and cherish you with every breath I take."

Hermione could've sworn before that, that she did not have a single romantic bone in her body. But seeing Sam looking so intently at her, like she was the only girl that mattered, like his life depended on doing her bidding, she felt something curiously like butterflies unfurling in her tummy. She felt tingles where his hands touched her skin. His baritone voice, his accent, melted her bones and his eyes.. _Oh sweet Merlin, those eyes!_ If anything was every crafted by God to melt a woman's resolve, they were it.

"Yes," she finally whispered, gathering her scattered thoughts.

They looked into each other's eyes for what felt like hours but could've been just minutes, they didn't know. _I really want to kiss you_ Sam thought but did not make a move, thinking it was too soon.

Hermione waited for Sam to dip his head, to come closer, to give her any indication that he felt the same tug that she did but he did not budge, and after a long time, she blinked and shuffled, breaking the intense moment.

They spoke for a little while longer until he saw her eyes drooping and her head tilting at an odd angle. He quickly moved towards her before she slumped on her form and supported her head with his shoulder. Pushing her hair behind her ear, he softly kissed her forehead. He then brought his arm around her back and the other behind her knees and in one smooth motion, stood up, with her in his arms. He carried her back to his house, reveling in his joy that he'd be carrying her like a new bride when he first took her to his place.

But when he finally reached his doorstep, the bubble burst!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04:**

"What's wrong? Why are you fidgeting so much?" Hermione groaned in her sleep.

 _Well, this is embarrassing!_ "Honey, I forgot my keys inside," Sam confessed sheepishly.

 _What keys?_ Hermione cracked her eyes open, then looked around, getting a hold of her surroundings. Surroundings that seemed to be at an odd angle. Then, she looked at the other side and saw why, and immediately started wiggling herself. "Sam, set me down."

Disheartened, he did as bid. "Now what?"

"I'll open your door then pop back to Ginny's." Before he could open his mouth, she pulled out her wand and tapped it at the door, "Alohamora."

The door swung open. "That's handy," Sam grinned.

She smiled sleepily back at him. "Good night, Sam. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Undoubtedly," he smiled back and hugged her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ginny left early the next morning to help Sue with the shop. While Leah was away, Ginny promised her help to Sue for running the shop and was thus asked to open it and stay on till Sue got there. So Hermione was alone with little Fred, Ginny's baby boy, named after her deceased brother, may God grant his soul peace.

Much to Hermione's pleasure, Fred was asleep when Ginny left and Hermione was able to cook a nice enough breakfast for herself and Seth. They ate in peace, making small talk. Seth checked on Fred on his way out and seeing him fast asleep, he left for his work at the garage he had started originally with Jacob, but was now left with complete ownership.

The minute the door shut behind Seth, all hell broke loose for Hermione!

Fred woke up with a loud wail and cried till Hermione was by his side. In all her years of study and then the few times she had cared for Teddy and Victorie, Hermione had never seen a child as cranky as Fred!

"You're just like your namesake!" Hermione cried and picked up the little boy and dashed down the stairs and ran with him all the way to the shop with her wand hovering in front of her with a point me spell. If anyone saw her hovering wand, she'd obliviate them, she reasoned, but she would not have the baby crying under her watch.

"Your mother's here. We're almost there," she panted to the baby as she finally reached the shop.

"I heard him crying. What's wrong?" Ginny asked, stepping out from behind the counter and picking up her dear boy.

"He woke up and started crying. I think he's hungry. Feed him," Hermione panted still, looking at the crying babe wrapped securely in his mother's arms.

"You realize there was formula at home right?"

Hermione blanched and then flushed in shame. "I.. I'll.. I'll take him back now." She lifted her hands to take the baby back.

Ginny laughed. "Mione, I'm here now. I'll feed him at the back of the store. Can you just man the counter till Sue comes over? She'll be here any minute now."

"Yes, sure, anything," Hermione quickly replied and took the spot recently vacated by Ginny and held her head in her hands as soon as Ginny went to the back of the store.

"Morning, honey. Why the mood?" she heard a husky voice roll over her.

Wide eyed, Hermione looked up and straight into the brown orbs of one chirpy Sam Uley. Was he that handsome even yesterday? And how did she miss all the muscle? Hermione's eyes slowly travelled up and then down his muscled form, taking in every curve if his sculpted body and she gulped, feeling a tell-tale dampness seep into her knickers.

Sam saw Hermione's eyes turn dark with every covert glance his way and he smelled her arousal mixed with her frangipani fragrance and he knew he'd never smelled anything more arousing. " _Kitten_ , behave, or I'll bend you over right here, uncaring of the trespassers," he warned and his warning only made her flush redder and turn her knickers near useless.

Rubbing her thighs uncomfortably against each other, she stammered, "Wh.. what do.. do you mean?"

Thankfully, Sam was saved from further explanations by Sue's arrival. Having raised not one but two wolves, Sue took one look at the scene in front of her and smiled her greeting while continuing to walk towards the back of the shop.

Sam gathered his _absolutely smutty_ thoughts about his imprint and him doing all sorts of naughty things first thing in the morning at the local grocery store and turned to look at his imprint again. She looked slightly better too, though if it was because she too had reigned her thoughts in or because she refused to look at him, he wasn't sure.

Smiling at her shyness, Sam started on what he had initially come to ask. "Come out with me tonight, for dinner?"

Hermione was at a place where she possibly couldn't refuse the man anything when rationality returned and she remembered. Grimacing, she said, "Sorry, I can't. I promised Gin I'd look after Fred for the evening so she could have some alone time with Seth. He's taking her out for their first date since the baby."

Sam tried real hard to not let his disappointment show but failed miserably. "For what it's worth, I really would have liked to go to dinner with you," his witch murmured, her blush coloring her cheeks enticingly and Sam smirked.

Before he could ask her if she had the time to go the following day, Hermione spoke instead. "Unless.. I mean, if you want, you could come over to Gin's place. I don't think they'd mind. Oh, but Fred will be there. Maybe you wouldn't like to, it's okay, I understand, some other time then."

"Do you always issue invites, then answer them yourself?" Sam couldn't keep his amusement away.

"Hmm?" Hermione looked at him with nervous curiosity.

He chuckled, "I'll be there at 6 tonight. Shall I get Chinese take-away?"

Hermione's face lit up at Sam's words. She had been sure he wouldn't come, after all which man would want to babysit a month old baby for the first date? _Was it a date, though?_ But he agreed and offered to get Chinese, her favorite, along.

Seeing her happiness, Sam felt his entire being hum with contentment. "You sure, you don't mind?"

Sam cupped her face in his large hands and rubbed at her cheek, "Kitten, if it makes you this happy, I'd watch Seth's kid all my life with you."

Hermione blushed profusely after that, absolutely avoiding his penetrating gaze. Sam leaned in over the counter of the shop and pecked her nose. "I'll see you at 6 tonight. It's a date," he whispered and was off, practically skipping with joy as he made his way back home after his patrol.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05:**

At ten minutes to six, Sam hopped out of his car, parking it on the street near Seth's place and pulled out the brown paper bag that had their food in it, carrying it with him to the homestead.

"I've fed him already. He should sleep all through the time you'll be alone with him. I'll come and give him his night feed. If, for any reason he wakes up, there's formula on the kitchen counter, mix it with warm water and .."

"I know, Gin, I know. Today morning was a mistake! It won't happen again, I promise."

"Call me if you need me. I've written Seth's, mine and the restaurant's number on a piece of paper and put it on the fridge. There's food in the.."

"I told you Sam's getting dinner. And don't worry, even if I mess up, which I won't, Sam knows the place. We'll manage just fine."

"I highly doubt it. And you're now with a wolf, you're gonna need way more food than the poor take-out guys manage to squeeze in the small containers. Remember how my brothers eat? Now, triple it, for each wolf! So, I say again there's.."

"Seth! Can you please take your wife away before I hex her and render her useless for the night?"

"Taking her away," Seth laughed as he opened the door, his hand firmly tugging at Ginny's wrist and then he suddenly stopped.

"Since when have you been here?" he asked his Alpha, barely holding back his smile.

"About a minute," Sam shrugged.

"You could've just rung the bell, Sam," Ginny smiled.

"Could've, but with all the commotion inside I doubted if you guys would hear it."

"On that note, good evening everyone." Seth stepped out of the house and dragged his wife towards his car.

"I could say don't do anything I won't but there's very few things I wouldn't do, so.. Enjoy!" Ginny winked at the pair and shuffled behind her husband.

Sam watched the couple drive away before turning to his imprint standing by the door. Her curly hair tied up in a messy knot, she was wearing a pale yellow blouse with dark denim shorts that stopped just above her knees, her face left without make-up and feet without footwear. She looked the epitome beauty as far as he was concerned.

While he was taking her in, Hermione did the same for him. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt that seemed to stretch to accommodate his muscled framed and hug his tight sinews on a pair of cut-off jeans. The dress seemed to be the uniform of the wolf boys, Hermione noted with a smile.

"Won't you come in."

"You look beautiful, kitten."

"What is it with the kitten calling?" Hermione arched her brow at his back as he entered the house and deposited his footwear in the corner, opting to go barefoot like herself.

"You change into a little kitten," he shrugged and laid the paper on the table, automatically pulling out the containers one after the other.

"I'm sorry, did you just call my Animagus form a kitten?" He nodded, hiding his smile at her indignation. "It's a panther, you tosspot."

"Whatever you say, kitten." He smirked and changed the topic. "Hungry?"

Giving him an evil eye, Hermione pulled out a chair and sat down, he took the one beside her, both making short work of the food on the table.

"Movie?" he asked after they'd broken their fortune cookies and laughed at the predictions.

"Can't go out," Hermione shook her head.

"They do have a DVD player and a TV set you know," Sam barely held back his chuckle.

"Oh!" she blushed. "I keep forgetting we are in the muggle side of the world."

"Tell me, how does it all feel to belong to two so very different worlds? From the first till now."

Hermione searched Sam's eyes and saw nothing but a keen interest and curiosity to know her better behind his question so she told him everything. About receiving her letter, finding out the reason behind all the accidents that seemed to happen around her, about how relating to the new world of magic was difficult for her in the beginning, almost making her thirst for knowledge unquenchable to make herself more comfortable in the new world that she now belonged in. Then she went on tell him how, after her first year at Hogwarts, she found relating to her previous world difficult again. The few friends that she had from her previous school felt immature because of her new experiences and how they in turn thought she had turned snobbish because of her premiere schooling.

Sam listened on raptly, thinking of a smaller version of Hermione, with the same bushy hair and warm brown eyes who had tried to fit in first in her new world and then her old and his heart broke a little for the young girl who kept getting more than she bargained for.

Unable to resist his impulse, he leaned in towards her, her talk stopping mid-sentence as she felt her skin prickle at his sudden closeness. Without realizing what she was doing, she leaned in too.

A second passed with Sam looking into her eyes, trying to gauge her feeling but she made the final dip and brought her lips to his own, moving them deliciously over his.

All thoughts of it being too soon, the kiss complicating their new relationship, everything flew out the window when Sam felt her lips slanted on his own. Then she bit his lower lip, bringing it into her mouth, sucking on it nice and slow and he knew he was a goner.

He groaned and picked her up from her chair, laying her on his lap, holding onto her with one hand splayed on the small of her back and the other moving into her hair. He tugged pin that had her hair rolled together messily on her head and was surprised to feel her wand instead.

Even in his haze, he knew it was important to her, so he laid it carefully and the table, promising himself that next time he pulled it out of her hair, he would watch her wild mane tumble down past her shoulders. This time, he kept his eyes closed and placing wand on the table, brought his hand back into her hair, feeling its softness and caressing her neck.

It took everything in him to keep from seeking an access inside her mouth, though he did enjoy the sensuous caresses of their lips.

With a pronounced sound, they separated from their lip lock, both first eyeing each other's swollen lips, then bringing their gazes up to look into the other's eyes.

Then she laughed. "Believe it or not, but I've never done that on my first date!"

"Good. I'd hate to have to kill all those other guys anyways," Sam joined in her peel of laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Epilogue:**

 _2 years later…_

Sam moved in behind his imprint as she stood in a circle with the other guest while the newly wedded couple danced in the center, both gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

"Aren't you happy I coaxed out a yes from you last year?" Sam smirked, bending to place his chin at the curve of Hermione's neck after dropping a kiss at the same spot. His hands automatically moved around her middle, which had very recently started to show, caressing their baby lovingly. "Without our wedding, these two would never have met!"

Hermione blushed faintly remembering exactly _how_ he had coaxed out the said 'yes' from her. They had both been sweaty and kissing each other frantically, when he'd popped the question out of nowhere. When she'd simply stared at him wide eyed, he'd dared her.

"If I get you to scream your consent within the next three minutes, you marry as soon as I can arrange for the license. If not, I'll wait for you to hint at marriage before I ask you again."

Needless to say, she'd lost the dare within half a minute and screamed her consent for a good half hour more! She hadn't even realized when he'd slipped the ring on her finger in the middle of it all and they'd been married two short weeks later.

Sam chuckled. "Hmm… I can already whiff the effects of the pregnancy hormones on you," he growled in her ear, making her squirm and rub her thighs together. "What say we blow this party off and celebrate the day in our own special way?"

"I will not, Uley!" Hermione stomped her foot down for good measure. "It's my best friend's wedding, what if he needs anything?"

"Trust me when I say this, _Mrs. Uley_ , all Harry needs from now on, Leah will more than happily provide. Besides, you have your own wolf to care for, not to mention the little pup here. Everyone else can manage by themselves just fine, but I don't want you standing, in those stupid shoes no less, for so long!"

"Bossy Alpha!" Hermione pouted petulantly.

"The Alpha's stubborn witch," Sam grinned heartily, pulling her small form carefully close to him as he dipped his head and kissed his wife with all his heart.


End file.
